Describe state of India’s environment with reference to village Sukhomajri and district Jhabua.
The village of Sukhomajri and the district of Jhabua have shown that it is possible to reverse land degradation by plantation of trees. Tree density in Sukhomajri increased from 13 per hectare in 1976 to 1,272 per hectare in 1992. Regeneration of the environment has led to economic well-being of the people. The annual average household income in Sukhomajri ranged from ? 10,000-15,000 between 1979 and 1984. This was due to greater resource availability, improved agriculture and animal care. Madhya Pradesh government has made people the decision-makers because their participation is essential for ecological restoration. Thus, 2.9 million hectares or 1 per cent of India’s land area are being greened across the state through watershed management.
